Italian politician Matteo Salvini said he would visit Poland to find ways to help refugees. Salvini has previously used a similar t-shirt printed with a picture of Russian President Vladimir Putin in the European Parliament, among other places.
leader of the Northern Federation of the Italian right-wing populist party and former Minister of the Interior Matteo Salvini visited the town of Przemyśl on the Polish-Ukrainian border yesterday.
The city is one of the border crossing points between the countries. According to Polish authorities, more than 1.3 million people fleeing the war have arrived in the country since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine.
Salvin was received by the mayor of Przemyśl Wojciech Bakun.
Baku started a joint press conference with Salvin, thanking the Italians for their support of Poland.
“At the same time, I have a personal remark for Mr Salvin,” Bakun said, highlighting a t-shirt with President Putin’s face printed on it.
Warm relations with Putin
A similar t-shirt has been seen on Salvin when the then MEP visited the Red Square in Moscow in 2014. Online magazine according to Politico (you switch to another service) Salvini also posed for the same t-shirt at the European Parliament in Strasbourg the following year.
In a Facebook post he later deleted, Salvini said he would replace the two Italian presidents Sergio Mattarella to what half Putin is, Politico writes.
Salvini has long confessed his admiration for Putin. For example, in 2017, Salvini signed a cooperation agreement with Putin’s United Russia party.
– I would ask you to visit the reception center if you are wearing this shirt, the mayor of Przemyśl, Bakun, said yesterday.
A complete reversal of the previous immigration policy
Salvini had said before his visit to Poland that the purpose of the trip was to find solutions to help Ukrainian refugees. Salvin’s actions can be seen as a complete reversal of a politician’s immigration stock.
Salvini has been in court, for example, in a case in which Salvini, in his capacity as Minister of the Interior, refused access to a Sicilian port from an Italian Coast Guard vessel carrying more than 130 asylum seekers and migrants. However, the court acquitted Salvin last spring.
– We are helping Ukrainian refugees, women, mothers, fathers, Salvini tried to interrupt Bakun.
After that, Salvini walked away from the press conference.